Scientists Downgrade Alert Level For Kilauea Volcano

Geologists say lava has mostly stopped flowing, and sulfur dioxide emissions are the lowest they’ve been since 2007.

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(AP) — Slowing activity at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is prompting scientists to downgrade their alert level for the mountain.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Friday it issued a “watch” for Kilauea’s ground hazards. That’s down from a “warning.”

But scientists say this doesn’t mean the eruption that has destroyed more than 700 homes since May is over.

FILE - In this May 9, 2018, file photo, steam and gas rise from Kilauea's summit crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
In this May 9 file photo, steam and gas rise from Kilauea’s summit crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, AP

Geologists say lava mostly stopped flowing on Aug. 6. There’s a crusted-over lava pond inside a fissure cone and just a few spots where lava is entering the ocean.

The volcano’s summit hasn’t collapsed since Aug. 2. Sulfur dioxide emissions are the lowest they’ve been since 2007.

The agency has maintained a “warning” alert for Kilauea since May 3, when cracks began shooting lava out of the ground in the Big Island’s Leilani Estates neighborhood.

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